blasting powder

noun

1. a form of gunpowder made with sodium nitrate instead of saltpeter, used chiefly for blasting rock, ore, etc.

Word History and Origins

Origin of blasting powder¹

First recorded in 1865–70

Example Sentences

Kim’s sister, Kim Yo Jong, said Sunday that North Korea only detonated blasting powder simulating the sound of its coastal artillery at the seashore to test the South Korean military’s detection capabilities.

From Seattle Times

This team of scientists, led by Merle Tuve and known as Section T of the Office of Science and Research Development, went from working on a borrowed Virginia farm and buying the wrong blasting powder to creating the world’s first “smart” weapon, itself key to Allied victory.

From Slate

A fallen or sagging trolley wire used to power the train is believed to have sparked the explosion of about 600 pounds of blasting powder carried on the same train transporting the miners into the mine.

From Washington Times

A standard shift, according to Larry Lankton in his book, Hallowed Ground, was 10 hours a day in a “dark, rough, hazardous, enclosing, steeply pitched” world, where the “sounds of hammer blows and the smell of spent blasting powder” suggested a singular mission: “to liberate copper and bring it to the surface”.

From The Guardian

“I’ll put some blasting powder down,” said his father, “and if that doesn’t crack it aside we’ll start a new hole.”

From Literature